The Rider
by SotF
Summary: Anakin receives a new option for saving Padme before the council attempts to arrest Palpatine


**Note:** Blame sitting in the office of the mechanics as they fix the car while the the end of GR was on followed by Episode 3...

* * *

Palpatine and Windu dueled as he exited the hallway, leather boots echoing with a faint but ominous beat.

Anakin felt it, something dark and twisted as he advanced, the acrid scent of burning sulfur touched his nostrils, mixing into a macabre torture to his senses with the stench of ozone from the combatants lightsabers and lightning.

A bargain made merely an hour prior, an offer of service to something dark and yet somehow noble had let him protect his wife and now the curse accepted willingly surged to the forefront.

Flames seemed to dance beneath his clothes as both jedi and sith turned to see what appeared to be the immolation of the chosen one, and yet, to their shock and horror that was not the case.

His flesh seemed to burn away, leaving what appeared to be a flaming skeleton clad in leather robes stood there walking into the office as the fire supression systems kicked in to no avail, the water and suppressants vaporizing in a vain attempt to quench.

Footprints of charred and burning carpet trailed behind, flickering ominously as the lights exploded with a fury of sparks and shattered transperisteel.

Golden statues seemed to dance with the flames, gaining the appearance of demons keeping watch over the gates of hell as Anakin strode forward without a word. Flames burst into existence, decorations and even the corpses laying at the door seemed to ignite in sympathy to his mere presence.

A chain seemed to materialize in his hand as the prosthetic melted and dripped away leaving a skeletal hand in its place, clenching the weapon bathed in dancing flames.

His eyes locked upon the sith when Sidious made a move to eliminate the jedi master, blowing him across the office with a burst of blue lightning.

Then the now deformed darksider froze under the gaze of the bleached bones and the eyes made of dancing fires.

An instant became an eternity as rage and a betrayal become all but palpable between the two monsters facing off.

A lightsaber seemed to materialize in Palpatine's hand as the old man leaped to attack the newcomer only for the chain to react and strike almost as a kouhun before coiling around the blade, flames hissing with anger and venom against the weapon that few things could even slow down, but they did not flinch at the power pressed against it.

Anakin pulled and spun, ripping the weapon from his former mentors grip and flinging the energy blade out the window, chain releasing at the peak and cracking almost as a whip in the process.

"What manner of creature are you?" he stammered, backing away from the living flame before him.

"A spirit," came the response, almost as if the flame was speaking through the crackling flames themselves, "Of vengeance and justice, untainted that which your kind sought."

The look of panic evaporated in an instant, replaced with a sneer before the hands raise and force lightning lashed out against the being, staggering him back for a moment.

Anakin glanced down at where it hit and shrugged before cracking his knuckles one by one, "My turn."

He reached out and seemed to almost make a snowball out of the Hellfire burning nearby before pitching it at his foe and blasting the robed figure backwards while charring the fine robes black before continuing his advance, stepping between the betrayer and the fallen jedi master who was only just beginning to regain his senses.

"Good!" the man cackled before him, "Good!"

A pause as the two faced off once more.

"Such anger, such hate," came the voice of the one he had trusted implicitly, "Your fall is complete, you only need to take you place at my side."

Pure silence, even from the dancing flames.

"My young apprentice."

Annoyance flashed across the flaming skull before he began to laugh.

"I do not serve you," he retorted, "This power exists to protect the innocent and judge the guilty."

"You dare judge me?" the tone was full of spite and incredulity.

Their eyes locked upon one another, as if in a game of chicken waiting to see who flinched first, no mortal man could stare into the unfeeling force of vengeance standing there.

"You," the being that was Anakin stated as the gaze burned into the mans very soul while the chain, as if of its own accord, extended and coiled about his neck, "Guilty!"

The sith masters death came with an agonizing scream as his very being was torn asunder by the fires of hell itself before the Rider walked to the ledge and reached out, calling the fires to rise and warp together, forming an monstrous rendition of a swoop bike while Mace finally regained his feet and turned.

"Skywalker?" he managed to gasp after regaining his breath and forced back the fear that pervaded his thoughts.

"Yes," came the response as the spirit of vengeance mounted the bike.

"What happened?"

"We won," he commented as the engine roared to life with an almost primal voice as the beings toned turned almost playful for a moment, "Feels like my skulls on fire though."

Mace Windu, for once in his life, was speechless as the demonic entity gunned the engine before turning towards the traffic, "And there is much work still to do tonight."

And then he was gone leaving the master of the Vapaad among the bodies of enemies and allies, wondering just what the hell had just been unleashed upon the world.


End file.
